Dozens of people were seeking help from organizations like Sacramento Covered to register for health insurance before the March 31 deadline.

Dozens of people were seeking help from organizations like Sacramento Covered to register for health insurance before the March 31 deadline.

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Updated: 8:15 PM PDT Mar 30, 2014

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WEBVTT MAY ARRIVE. LAST MINUTE PUSH WAS LESS THAN 48 HOURS TO GO UNTIL THE HEALTH CARE DEADLINE GOES INTO EFFECT. PEOPLE SCRAMBLING TO SIGN UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU'VE BEEN TO SEE A DOCTOR? YEARS. IT'S THE EVE OF THE MARCH 31 DEADLINE TO ENROLL IN COVERED CALIFORNIA. DESPITE MONTHS OF WARNING THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT SIGNED UP. A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN SACRAMENTO WAS ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE SIGN UP TODAY. THE OFFICIAL DEADLINE IS TOMORROW NIGHT AT 11:59. DOZENS OF PEOPLE WERE HERE TODAY. SOME OF THEM SAID THEY STARTED THE PROCESS AND GET STUCK. OTHERS SAID THEY HAD JUST HEARD ABOUT THE DEADLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME. 24-YEAR-OLD ERIC AND HIS FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON ARE UNINSURED. THE DAY BEFORE THE COVERED CALIFORNIA DEADLINE, HE'S TRYING TO CHANGE THAT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO BE HEALTHY. AND FOR THAT REASON, THE GROCERY STORE SUPERVISOR AND SO MANY OTHERS VISITED SACRAMENTO COVERED, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE MEET THE MARCH 31 COVERED CALIFORNIA ENROLL 789 DEADLINE. WE WALK THEM THROUGH WHAT THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS. THERE WILL BE AN APPLICATION COMPLETION PERIOD BUT ONLY FOR APEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLETED A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE APPLICATION. VUL UNTIL APRIL 15 IF HAVE YOU STARTED YOUR APPLICATION AND TO A PARTICULAR POINT IN THE APPLICATION. ERIC KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE COST OF LIFE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. I HAD A BROKEN NOSE AND AM HAVING TO PAY THE BILL. TWO YEARS LATER HE'S STILL TRYING TO PAY OFF THAT $5,000 TRIP FOR THE E.R.. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SIGN UP WILL LIKELY FACE A TAX PENALTY. TWO EVENTS IN SACRAMENTO TOMORROW WILL HELP PEOPLE LEARN MORE ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR HEALTHCARE THROUGH COVERED CALIFORNIA. THE FIRST ONE AT THE BRICK HOUSE ART GALLERY FROM 10:00 TO 2:00.

Covered California registration deadline approaches

Dozens of people were seeking help from organizations like Sacramento Covered to register for health insurance before the March 31 deadline.